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Login Create AccountEvery teacher wants to start their school year off on the right foot. Why not do it with a great game? Playing games with students taps into their innate sense of free-spirited fun and reduces stress. Meanwhile, games allow you to reinforce content and concepts. Games are an undercover way to spark collaboration and improve communication as a team-builder. Games help groups feel more comfortable and connected.
First, well-planned games provide an opportunity for relationship building. In turn, this creates a safe space. Game playing is the language of children. They are an easy inroad for getting to know one another, fostering camaraderie, and allowing student leaders to emerge. Academically, games can teach new material and are helpful when rehearsing vocabulary, reviewing for tests, and assessing learning. Games make learning fun!
Organizing and participating in games builds empathy between students and teachers. Students often realize how challenging it is to direct a group, communicate, and work towards a common goal. According to Berkley’s Greater Good Science Center, students who internalize this are more likely to show prosocial behavior, demonstrate kindness and inclusion, and are more cooperative in class. Empathy is essential for running a smooth classroom and accomplishing tasks. Friendly competitions also help students increase their intrinsic motivation and facilitate a growth mindset.
One way to ensure any game runs smoothly and more collaboratively is to assign jobs. Shift out of your role as the classroom teacher to that of a team manager. Once you learn the ins and outs of a particular game, determine what jobs pop up. Assign roles to students so you can step back. It also allows students to step up and be more autonomous. Note that more than one student can be assigned a particular role if you rotate each round. This approach is especially appealing to those who do not wish to participate competitively but want to support the team.
For four roles you can give to students, take a look at our complimentary download, 4 Collaborative Game Playing Roles. Check out our PRO Pack, Games in the Art Room, for more resources like this.
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Other roles you can assign may include:
When it comes time to play a game, the energy in the room can become palpable. Focus students’ attention using one of our Art Teacher Hacks, such as the call and response lyric game. Another fun song to use is Tubthumping by Chumbawamba. Teach them that when you say, “I get knocked down,” they respond with “but I get up again,” and you will be ready to give directions in no time!
After reviewing the rules and expectations, divide the class into teams as needed. Make sure you have a plan for this ahead of time so there is no delay in starting the game. For example, they can count off, split by table groups, or separate by birthdate.
This online game-learning platform allows users to customize games (called Kahoots) to play. Students can compete over quizzes, formative assessments, learning new art topics, getting to know their teachers, and any other reason you want to challenge their knowledge! Kahoot is an easy peasy setup if you have access to technology. Different game styles are customizable with your photos, GIPHY’s library of GIFs, YouTube video links, or Getty Images.
Timeframe: Customizable, but allot 20–30 minutes to start.
Materials Needed:
Goal: To win the highest amount of points by answering the most questions with accuracy and speed.
Rules and How to Play:
This funny, easy, and low-risk “blind-contour” game is a perfect ice-breaker for the art room. Good for warmups, Art Heads helps students transition mentally from their previous class. Curated drawing prompts can connect students with the topic of study on hand. This is a silly game that students can appreciate from elementary to high school.
Additionally, this game is unlike others when judging a winner. Art Heads is entirely subjective. The judge can pick work that closely resembles the prompt, least closely resembles it, or whichever image resonates with them. This out-of-the-box system creates friendly competition, reinforcing that the game is all about fun. However, you and the students will be surprised by the impressive art that will emerge. This game really gets students talking!
Timeframe: Customizable. You can design the game to last for five minutes or 25 minutes, so it’s very versatile for your schedule.
Materials Needed:
Goal: To “replicate” the drawing projected on the screen without looking.
Rules and How to Play:
This is a classic game beloved by many for the anticipation it builds. Bingo is a classroom staple, and, through technology, the online game is fully customizable and free to create. Bingo cards are perfect for rehearsing vocabulary, reviewing procedures, or studying for a test.
In this version of Bingo, note that the content in the columns and rows varies from the traditional game. Players must match the content according to the game-style pattern indicated at the start of the game. Game-style pattern ideas include straight-line, diagonal, four corners, and filling the card.
Timeframe: Dependent on the “luck of the draw” and game-style pattern. “Fill the Card” takes the longest to complete. The average time per round is about 20 minutes but can end much faster.
Materials Needed:
Goal: Shout “Bingo!” after successfully covering terms matching those called, according to the game style chosen.
Rules and How to Play:
This entertaining guessing game originated on the Ellen DeGeneres Show. Originally made with physical cards held to the forehead, it has been developed into a mobile app. More recently, it has been adapted into a board game using headbands. This fast-paced game is great for the art room because you can create themed decks for any topic of interest.
Materials Needed:
Goal: Guess the highest number of answers correctly.
Rules and How to Play:
This is a fun team-building game. Like dodgeball, any game where you are throwing something toward someone needs to have the rules, boundaries, and consequences laid out. Time each round between one to three minutes.
Materials Needed:
Goal: Stack a pyramid of cups before the opposing team has a chance to knock them down.
Rules and How to Play:
This game takes its inspiration from Nic Hahn. Not only are the Candy Cane Olympics hilarious to watch, but this is an excellent relay game that encourages collaboration. The learning curve is part of the fun when controlling the headband-candy cane hook. Students are usually very uncoordinated at first, so it can be a positive empathy builder. Connect this concept to other new things they have tried, like realistic drawing and learning to cut with scissors. With any new skill or task, we may be awkward at first. After some practice, we gain confidence and competency!
While the game looks easy, students quickly discover that strategy, communication, and problem-solving as a team are required to gain an edge over their opponents. I was happily surprised that my middle school students did not tire of this game. They played for our entire 50-minute class!
Materials Needed:
Goal: Move as many candy canes from the starting bin to the ending bin.
Rules and How to Play:
There are no losers when you are not playing for a “prize.” The goal of game playing is to enhance learning and provide stress relief. While I rarely offer physical or treat-based prizes, I do give students art room rewards. These rewards usually benefit the entire class and tie directly into the art room. The “winning” team can earn a privilege for the class like free seating or choosing the topic for the next drawing warmup, First 5.
Other ideas include:
Classroom management is something you build and maintain all year long. It fluctuates throughout the seasons but doesn’t have to be a headache. It’s never too soon or too late to use games to support your classroom management.
The beginning of the school year is a valuable time to introduce games. Students receive so much new information and may experience sensory overload. They need opportunities to connect with their classmates, and they appreciate a teacher who recognizes this. Games are excellent for encouraging community, collaboration, and problem-solving. All of these make classroom management infinitely more fun!
For more resources on games in the art room, check out the following:
What are your favorite games to play in the art room?
How do you use games as classroom management tools?
Magazine articles and podcasts are opinions of professional education contributors and do not necessarily represent the position of the Art of Education University (AOEU) or its academic offerings. Contributors use terms in the way they are most often talked about in the scope of their educational experiences.